Means for actuating submersion-rudders for torpedoes.



A. E. JONBS.

MEANS FOR AGTUATINGJSUBMERSION RUDDERS P03 TOR-PEDOES. APPLICATION FILEDAPE. 4.1906.

In: NORRIS PETERS cm, wAsnnmroN, n. c.

PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

ALBERT EDWARD JONES, OF FIUME, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

MEANS FOR,ACTUATI1\TG SUBMERSION-R'UDDERS FOR TORPEDOES.

Specification a Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

' Application filed A riii, 1906. Serial No. 309,828.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT EDWARD JONES, engineer, citizen of the UnitedKingdom of England, residing at Fiume, Empire of Austria-Hungary, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Meansfor Actuating Submersion-Rudders for T orpedoes, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawing.

This invention has for its object an improvement in those devices whichserve to maintain a traveling torpedo at a predetermined depth, and inwhich the movements of the horizontal rudder are initiated on the onehand by a membrane submitted to hydrostatic pressure and to the pressureof a spring, and on the other hand by the oscillations of a pendulum.

The invention has mainly for its object that in place of the springpressure maintaining equilibrium with the hydrostatic pressure, therotary moment of a weighted arm positively connected with the membraneis utilized, this arm being so adjusted that in the horizontal positionof the axis of the torpedo, its moment is equivalent to the waterpressure acting on the membrane at the normal depth of immersion.

As the rotary moment of the weighted arm increases or decreases withalterations in the horizontal position of the axis of the torpedo, theweighted pendulum also replaces the function of the submersion pendulumemployed in the Whitehead torpedo.

In Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing a governor constructed inaccordance with this invention is shown in vertical section built in thetorpedo, together with the rear end of the.

torpedo which contains the submersion rudder. Figs. 2 and 3 show atorpedo in posi tion deviating from the horizontal line of travel, t. c.Fig. 2 in ascending and Fig. 3 in descending travel.

As shown by Fig. 1, the membrane m is arranged on the lower end of thehydrostatic chamber a and forms part of the cover I) of a casing 0extending into the chamber. The fixed part of the cover I) carries twobrackets d and between them there is rotatably mounted an arm f providedwith an adjustable weight g. Upon the shaft on which this arm rocksthere is keyed an arm h which is connected with the center of themembrane by means of a connecting rod 7c, this membrane m actuating inthe known manner the servo or auxiliary motor w of the submersion rudder2 by means of an appropriate rod o. The length of the connecting rod isand also that of the connecting member v is adjusted in such a mannerthat the pendulum f assumes a slightly inclined position relatively tothe vertical when the torpedo is in the horizontal position and theposition of the membrane corresponds to the normal depth of immersion,that is to say to the horizontal posi- %ion of the submersion rudder asshown in The operation of the apparatus is as follows: With the axis ofthe torpedo in the horizontal position and the torpedo at the normaldepth of immersion the rotary moment of the weighted arm fcounterbalances the hydrostatic pressure acting upon the membrane; thepositive connection between the membrane and the steering apparatusbeing such that the rudder .2 is horizontal in this position of thetorpedo, so that no upward or downward steering takes place. If thetorpedo is situated at less than the normal depth from the surface, therotary moment of the pendulum will force the membrane outwards, by whichmeans the rudder will be caused to rock downwards; if the depth ofimmersion however exceeds the normal, the membrane will be pressedinwards, overcoming the counter ressure of the rotary moment of thependuum and the rudder will be caused to rock upwards. Besides thisfunction, which is analogous to that of a spring acting upon themembrane, such as has already been em ployed, the weighted arm f alsoserves as the submersion pendulum, because its rotary.

moment increases or decreases with the inclination of the longitudinalaxis of the torpedo, that is to say with an ascending direction oftravel (see Fig. 2) it exceeds the normal magnitude and with adescending path (see Fig. 3) it is less than the normal magni tude. Inthe first case therefore an outward pressure of the membrane exceedingthe normal will take place the submersion rudder being thereby given adownward movement, while in the second case (Fig. 3) the membrane willbe pressed inwards by the water pressure and an upward movement will begiven to the horizontal rudder.

In the two typical positions of the torpedo represented in Figs. 2 and3, the action of the weighted arm will be directed to rendering thelongitudinal axis of the torpedo horizontal. Owing to the positiveconnection of the weighted arm f, which it is obvious will also act as ahydrostatic pendulum, with the membrane, the oscillation of thependulum, caused by its inertia and. occurring at the moment at which itreaches the water, is smaller and is more speedily checked than withthose devices in which (as for example in the Whitehead submersiongovernors) the depth or submersion pendulum acts quite independently ofthe membrane. Owing to this speedy checking of the oscillations of theweighted arm caused by the inertia, which checking results from theaforementioned positive connection, the locking means by which in thearrangements hitherto adopted the submersion governor is arrested duringthe first period of the travel of the torpedo, may be dispensed with.This locking entails as is well known, a number of inconveniences, asits duration and the position given to the locked submersion ruddershould differ with the different launching directions which direction isselected at the moment of action, when it is not possible to make anyadjustment.

As shown, the entire device is arranged in a box 0 adapted to be placedin the hydrostatic chamber a and closed on all sides, so that the actionof the membrane mWill not be influenced by any leakage occurring in thehydrostatic chamber a and the whole apparatus may be withdrawn from thetorpedo without the necessity for dismounting other arts. p Having nowparticularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inventionand in What manner the same is to be per formed, I declare that what Iclaim is:

In depth or submersion governors a hydrostatic chamber, a closed boXWithin said hydrostatic chamber, a membrane forming one side of the boxand being exposed to the wa ter pressure, a pendulum suspended in saidbox, and means for positively connecting the membrane with the pendulumand holding the pendulum inclined to the vertical position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

ALBERT EDWARD JONES.

Witnesses VICTOR MONATH, ALvEsTo S. HOGUE

